Firing mechanism for breech-loading guns.



Patenteu Nov. 26, [9th.

A. NOBLE. FIRING iv'iECHANlSTfl FOB BREEGH LOADING GUNS.

(Application filed Aug. 8, 1901.)

(No Model.)

ilNiTsn STATES' PAT NT Tricia,

ANDRElV NOBLE, OF NEXVCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO SIR \V. G. ARMSTRONG, \VHITW'ORTH AND COMPANY, LIMITED, OF NElVCAS- TLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND.

FlRlNG MECHANISM FOR B REECH-LOADING GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,332, dated November 26, 1901';

Application filed August 8,1901. Serial No. 71,407. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: l

Be it known that 1, ANDREW NOBLE, K. O. 13., F. R. S., a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Elswick \Vorks, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Firing Mechanism for Breech Loading Guns, of

which the following is specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lo hiring mechanism for breech-loading guns, in

which the breech-block is mounted on a carrier at the end of an arm, which at its opposite end is pivoted at one side of the gun, as described in the specification of a former patout, No. 4.929%, dated March 7, 1893.

According to the present inventi n the firing-pin or striker is, as described in the above specification, made to extend centrally through the carrier and its forward end through the front portion of the breech-block. A coiled inainspring surrounding it throwsit forward. The coiled spring is held in place by its rear end abutting against a retainingplng which closes the rear end of the passage through the carrier and is locked in position by an interrupted screw-thread. The plug extends rearward beyond the part of the carrier-arm into which it looks and has extending s dewise from it an arm to which is pivo oted a horizontal firing-lever. The central portion of the firingdever has a sliding trigger-rod passing through it which is pressed forward by a spring, so that its end may entor a notch in the rear end of the firing-pin. A torsion-spring turns the firing-lever in one direction and can be turned in the opposite direction by a pull upon a lanyard attached to it. When the lever is turned by a pull on the lanyard, the end of the trigger engaging 0 with the notch in the firing-pin draws this pin back and compresses the coiled inainspring until projections on the rear end of the trigger-rod enter eccentric cam-grooves in the arm which extends sidewise from the 1,5 retaining-plug. The trigger is so drawn back and the firing-pin released and allowed to be thrown. forward by the coiled inainspring. On the lanyard being released the triggerlover is returned to its normal position by the reaction of the torsion-spring, and the trig- 5o ger is returned into its normal position by the trigger-spring. This allows of the mechanism being actuated a second time in case of a misfire, and this obviates the danger of having to recock the striker by hand. A projection upon the firing-lever is arranged to enter a recess in the carrier-arm, and the retaining-plug is thus restrained from turning. Normally the firing-pin is held back in a safe position either by an incline on the breech- 6o screw acting upon an incline on the firing pin and pre'ssingit back ashort distance when the breech-screw is turned to unlock it, or it may normally be held back in a safe position by a spring which can only be overcome by the firing-pin when thrown forward. Togive additional safety, a sliding bolt is fitted in the carrier, which is thrust forward by a cam projection on the firing-lever whenever the firing-lever is turned by a pull on the lan- I yard, and there is a recess in the breecl 1- screw into which the end of the bolt can then enter it the breech-screwis properly locked.

Figure l is a rear elevation, and Fig. 2 a sectional plan, of the mechanism. Fig.3 is a partial section showing a modification in which the striker is held back in a safe position by a coiled spring in front of it.

A is a portion of the screw breech-block;

13, the carrier upon which it is mounted.

O is a portion of the carrier-arm.

D is the firing-pin or striker, which extends, centrally throughthe carrier. E is a. coiled mainspring for throwing it forward, and Fe. retaining-plug which closes the rear. end of the passage through the carrier and forms an abutment for the inainspring. The plug may have an interrupted screw-thread on its exterior to look into a correspondingly-interrupted thread in the carrier.

F is an arm extending sidewise ,from the rear end of the plug F.

G is the firing-lever, lyingin a slot in the arm 1*" and capable of turning on pivots G G. The upper pivot G extends downward from a screw-plug G which screws into and closes the upper end of a tubular projection I! on the upper part of the arm.

J 18, 't-rigger-rodcapable of, sliding endwise to and fro through the lever G. K is a coiled spring by which it is moved endwise .into alposition in which-its end enters a notch 161) in the rear end ofthe firing-pin.

' G isan eyeat the end of ,the firing-lever,

to which a lanyard is to be attached.

J represents projections on the rear end of v the trigger-rod, which when the firing-lever is :5 turned by a pull on the lanyard enter eccen- I trio cam-grooves F in the arm F, and the trigger-rod is thus drawn bacl; and the firingpin released. t

. D is an incline on the forward end of the head of the firing-pin for a corresponding in- *"clihe on thebreech-screw to act upon when the breech-screw is turned so as then to hold the striker back to a safe distance. I Y D represents projections on the head of the firing-pin, which enter corresponding grooves in the carrier and restrain the firingpin from turning.

G is a projectionep the lever G, which enters ar'ecessin'the rear end of the carrier and rest-rains the plug F from turning.

K is a sliding bolt carried by the carrierarm, which is pressed forward by an incline G on the firing-lever when this lever is turned by a pull on thelanyard. Its forward end, -which is rounded, then enters a correspondjng recess A in the breech-screw A if the breech-screw has been turned into its locked position. If the recess is not opposite the end of the bolt, the bolt cannot be moved forward 4pI/and the gun cannot be fired. ""11" Fig. 3 shows how in place of using a safetyiiicline D on the forward end of the head of the firing-pin, as shown in Fig. 1, the firingesnsea pin may normally be held back to a safe distance by a coiled spring D placed in front of it.

What I claim is 1. The combination of the screw breechblock A, carrier B, carrier-arm C, firing-pin 1) extending through the carrier, coiled mainspring E,retaining-plugFclosing the rearend of the passage through the carrier, the arm F extending sidewise from the rear end of the plug, the firing-lever G pivoted to this arm, the torsional spring I for turning the lever, the trigger J passing through the lever, the notch D in the rear end of the firing-pin into which the forward end of the trigger en'- ters projections J on the trigger, cams F on the arm F to act upon these projections and cause the trigger to be drawn back after the firing-lever has been turned a distance and means for holding back the ,firing-pin when the screw breech-block has not been turned into its locked position.

2. The combination .ofthe screw breechblock A, carrier B, carrier-arm C, firing-pin D, coiled mainspring E, retaining-plug F, its

arm F, the firing-lever G pivoted to the arm,

the trigger J passing through the lever, the notch D in the rear end of the firing-pin into which the forward end of the triggerenters, theprojections J on the trigger and cams F on the arm F to act upon these projections to drawback the trigger means for holding back the firing-pin in a safe position when the breech-screw is not turned into its locked position and the sliding bolt L which can only be thrust forward when the breech-screw is in its locked position and which stops the firing-lever from being turned unless it can move forward.

- ANDREW NOBLE. \Vitnesses:

LwYV.VVOOD& F. M. HoLMEs. 

